Scroll type continuous mining machine



J. GONSKI ETAL SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE July 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1963 v w ON Y 1, Q

July 13, 1965 J. GoNsKl ETAL SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1963 IN V EN TORS.

Gonskl: /Vewhs/z July 13, 1965 J. GoNsKl ETAL SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JEE- 4f O /z ze 2/ Z3 zz y 70 o o o o E /z 75 y mn---" z/ n |I I uf 23 lr g1 i 'Z4 i z a9 IL J' I /23 l l l I l l l United States Patent O als 3,194,693 SCRLL 'IYIE CNINUOUS MENING MAQHINE .osepla Gonslri, Chicago, and .lohn S. Newton, Glen Ellyn,

lil., assignors to Goodman Manufacturing Company,

Chicago, lill., a corporation of Iliinois Filed lune 28, 1963, Ser'. No. 291,334 4 Claims. (Cl. 299-64) This application is a continuation-impart of our application Serial No. 81,094 filed January 6, 1961 and entitled Continuous Mining Machine and now Patent No. 3,121,558 dated February 18, 1964.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of continuous mining and loading machine for mining out thin seams of coal in a continuous operation, arranged with a view toward adaptability for mining out working places of various widths in a simple and efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon continuous mining and loading machines of the low vein type by utilizing side cutting mining heads having scrolls having cutter bits extending therefrom to cut in arcuate paths the ribs of the working place toward the center thereof and by progressing the mined material to be picked up by the conveyor of the machine by the scrolls of the mining heads and by conveyor scrolls forming continuations of an of lthe same capacity as the scrolls of the side cutting mining heads.

Still another object of the invention is `to provide an improved form of continuous mining and loading machine particularly adapted for mining out thin .seams of coal and arranged with a view toward simplifying the conveying of the mined material and the loading of the material onto the conveyor of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved form of continuous mining machine having individual side cutting mining heads swingable across the front of the machine about vertical axes disposed at opposite sides of the machine, in which the mining heads are longitudinally adjustable to operate in working places of varying widths and are also vertically adjustable to mine seams of coal of varying thicknesses.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings Wherein:

FIGUR 1 is a top plan view of a continuous mining machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the mining heads in their laterally extended positions and sumped into the working face into positions to mine out the working face by lateral feeding movement thereof toward the center of the machine;

FEGURE 2 is an enlarged partial fragmentary top Vplan view of the forward end. portion of one side of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, with the mining head swung inwardly toward the center of the machine from the position shown in FIGURE 1 and with certain parts of the mining head and its support broken away and shown in horizontal section;

FEGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along lines 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lines 4 4 of FlGUIE 1, with certain parts broken away;

FXGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lines 5 5 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 6 is a partial fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIGURE 2 in order to show certain details `of the pusher plate.

3,194,6@3 Federated July I3, 1.965

lCC

ln the embodiment of the invention illustrated in EIG- URE 1 of the drawings, we have shown a mining machine l@ of the side cutting continuous mining type, adapted to cut and load an entire seam of coal by feeding two side cutting mining heads 11, 11 sidewise into the working face of a coal seam when in the extreme laterally extended position shown in FIGURE 1, by advancing the entire machine toward the working face, and then by feeding said mining heads toward each other across the working face in arcuate paths about fixed axes.

The mining machine It) includes generally a main frame 123 mounted on a pair of laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices I3, for propelling the machine from Working place lto working place and for advancing the machine toward a working face, to feed the side cutting mining heads 11 thereinto when in the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE 1. The continuous traction tread devices may be of a well known form and may be independently driven by individual fluid operated motors 134i, 13d in a suitable manner. The motors 13d, I3@ and traction devices I3, 13 are locked when the control valves therefor are in neutral positions. As shown in FIGURE 1, valves 14, 14 in a valve bank 33, and operated by control levers 16, 16, are provided to supply fluid under pressure to the traction device drive motors 13d, 13@ through suitable piping connections, to effect operation of said motors in forward and reverse directions and to lock said motors from rotation when the valves are in neutral positions.

Extending along the central portion of the main frame l?, is a laterally flexible single strand chain and flight conveyor l5' extending from an inclined apron I7 at the front of the machine in an upwardly inclined direction over the top of the machine, and having a laterally swingable rear end portion IS, swung from side to side and maintained in the desired position with respect to the center line of the machine by fluid pressure operated jacks 19, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described further.

The side cutting mining heads 1I are mounted on boom or feeder arms Ztl, pivotally mounted on vertical pivot pins 2l at the forward end portion of the main frame l2 at opposite sides of the conveyor I5. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the feeder arms Ztl have rear boss portions 22 extending between bifurcated support portions 2.3 of the main frame 12, and pivotally mounted therebetween on bearings 24 mounted on the pivot pins 2l.

The feeder arms 2d and mining heads 11 are swung about the axes of the pivot shafts or pins ZI by hydraulic jacks 25 pivoted at their rear ends to brackets 27 on vertical pivot pins 29 and having piston rods 3i) extensible therefrom and pivoted to the feeder frames 2t) on vertical pivot pins 31 connecting said piston rods to connectors 32.. Fluid under pressure may be admitted to the head or piston rod ends of the hydraulic jacks 25 under the control of fluid pressure control valves in the valve bank 33, connected with said jacks through suitable piping connections, to swing the side cutting mining' heads toward and from each other and to hold said mining heads in the laterally extended feeding positions shown in FlGURE 1. The fluid pressure system including the valves, piping and pump are no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

Each feeder arm 2@ has a flat plate-like portion 35 extending for the length thereof having facing gibbed guides 36 extending :along each side thereof (FIGURE 3). The gibbed guides 36 form retainers and guides for a base plate 37 moved therealong and held in fixed relation with respect thereto by a hydraulic jack 39 connected to said feeder frame at its yhead end on a pivot pin 4t) mounted in a connector 41 at the rear end portion of the feeder arm 20 outwardly of the boss 22. The hydraulic jack 39 has a piston rod 42 pivotally connected to the base plate 37 on a vertical pivot pin 43 extending through parallel spaced connector ears 41, extending rearwardly of said base plate. The hydraulic jack 39 thus serves to move the base plate 37 and mining head 11 supported thereon along the feeder arm 20 and to hold said base plate and mining head in fixed rel-ation with respect to said feeder arm.

The base plate 37 has parallel spaced vertically extending guide rails 45 extending upwardly therefrom at opposite ends thereof and at the inner side thereof. The guide Irails 45 are braced by gusset plates 46 and form guides for a cutter support plate 47 forming a support for the mining head 11 and slidably movable along the rails 45. The cutter support plate 47 has gibbed guides 49 extending inwardly from the inner side thereof and along the inner sides of the guide rails 45 'to retain said cutter support plate to said guide rails and to guide said cutter support plate for vertical movement along said guide rails.

The cutter support plate 47 has a right angled motor support portion h extending outwardly from the top thereof over the base plate 37 and feeder arm 20, and having a drive motor 51 supported on the underside thereof as by bolts 53, extending through feet 54 extending outwardly of the casing for the motor 51. The motor support plate 5t) also has parallel spaced depending connectors 57 depending therefrom on opposite sides of the motor 51. Said connectors form connectors for piston rods 55 of hydraulic jacks 56. Pivot pins 58 pivotally connect said piston rods to said connectors. The hydraulic jacks 56 in turn :are pivoted at their head ends on the base plate 37 on pivot pins 59 extending through parallel spaced connector ears 80 extending upwardly of the base plate 37. The admission of fluid under pressure to the head ends of the hydraulic jacks 56 will thus elevate the cutter support plate 47 and cutter head 11 and position said cutter head to cut at various selected elevations with respect to the ground.

Each side cutting mining head 11 is in the form of a scroll and includes a drum 63 having a helical scroll 64 extending there along having cutter bit supporting blocks 65 mounted thereon having cutter bits 66 detachably mounted therein. The cutter bits are positioned to cut from the bottom to the top of the seam as the scroll is rotated in a direction, which in FIGURE 3 is a clockwise direction. The scroll 64 is pitched to progress material to a conveyor scroll 67 extending from a drum 69 coaxial with the drum 63. The scroll 67 and drum 69 form in effect a continuation of the drum 63 and scroll 64 and progress the mined material toward the conveyor to be picked up thereby at the same rate it is transferred by the drum 63 and scroll 64.

The drum 63 also has cutter bit carrying blocks 7? extending about its periphery for trimming the .rib as the drum 11 is snmped into the mine face.

The coaxial drums 63 and 69 are mounted on the cutter support frame or plate 47 on two parallel spaced vertical support arms 71 and 72 extending forwardly of the critter support frame 47 when said cutter support frame is positioned at right angles to the conveyor 15, as shown in FIGURE 1. The arm 71 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 as extending from the cutter support plate 47 perpendicular thereto toward the center of the vmachine and as having an end portion 73 conforming generally to the periphery of the drum 63. The support arm 71 has annular bearing supports 7S and 76 secured to opposite sides thereof and extending within the respective drums 63 and 69 and forming bearing supports therefor.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the bearing support 75 'extends within an annular angle 77 abutting the inner periphery of the drum 63 and suitably secured thereto. The support member '75 and annular angle '77A form a support for an anti-friction bearing 73, rotatably supporting the end of the drum 63 adjacent the support arm 71.

The bearing support 75 has a reduced diameter sleeve portion 79 extending the length of the drum 63 and having an anti-friction bearing d@ mounted on the outer end thereof and mounted within an inwardly extending annular portion S1 of an end cap 83 for the drum 63, for rotatably supporting the outer end of the drum 63. The end cap 33 has an inwardly extending sleeve portion S4 extending within the sleeve 79 and free from said sleeve and having a drive shaft 35 splined thereto. The drive shaft 35 extends for substantially the length of the drums 63 vand 69 and is splined at its end opposite the sleeve portion 84, within a hub portion S6 of the rear end portion of the drum 69. The hearing support 76 extending from the opposite face of the support arm 71 from the bearinr support 75 forms a support for an anti-friction bearing 87 mounted in the interior wall of the drum 69. The bearing support 76 also has a reduced diameter sleeve portion 38 extending along the interior of the drum 69 to a position adjacent the hub 36 'and having a bearing 39 mounted in the end thereof, forming a bearing support for the-rear end portion of the drive shaft d5. A similar anti-friction bearing 9@ is mounted within the sleeve portion S8 adjacent the forward end thereof and forms the bearing `support for the drive shaft. d5 adjacent a bevel gear 91, forming a drive gear for said drive shaft.

The arm 72 is secured to the rear end portion of the support plate 47 and has gibbed portion 94 extending along the outer face of the support plate 47. The arin 72 may be secured to the rear end of the support plate 47 in any suitable manner and extends from said support plate 47 in parallel relation with respect to the support arm 71 and conforms generally to the periphery of the drum 69. The arm 72 has an anti-friction bearing 93 mounted therein, forming a bearing support for the hub portion 86 of the drum 69. The two drums 63 and 69 are thus mounted on the support arms 71 and 72 for rotation together, the scrolls 64 and 67 forming in effect a continuous conveyor progressing the material mined by the cutter bits 66 from the working face toward the apron 17 and conveyor 15.

The drive from the motor 51. to the drive shaft includes a drive shaft 96 extending from a speed reducer housing 97 along the arm 71, within the bearing supports 75 and 76. The speed reducer housing 97 forms in effect, a part of the casing for the motor 51 and contains the usual speed reduction gears (not shown) for driving the shaft 96 from the motor 51 at a reduced speed from the speed of the motor 51, in a rmanner well known to those skilled in the art so not herein'shown or described. The Shaft 96 extends along `a slotted portion 99 of the support arm 71 and is journalled adjacent its'outer end in an anti-friction bearing 109 mounted in the bearing support members 75 and 76 secured to opposite sides of the support arm 71. A bevel pinion 161 on the outer end yof the shaft 96 meshes with and drives the bevel gear 91.

A cuttings confining shoe scraper 103 extends along the bottom of the feeder arm 20 for substantially the length thereof and along the advance face thereof. The scraper 103 depends from the feeder arm 20 into engagement with the mine door, and confines and sweeps the cuttings toward the center of the working place, to be progressed by the scroll 67 onto the receiving end of the conveyor 15 as the feeder arm 20 feeds the mining head 11 toward the center of the working place. The shoe 193 is shown in FIGURES 3 and 5 as interleaving ears 105 depending from the bottom of the support arm 20 and as being pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 106. The shoe 103 is lifted above the ground upon movement of the mining heads 11 in a retractible direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder 107 having a piston rod 109 extensible therefrom. The cylinder 1117 is pivotally connected to an ear 110, depending from the bottom of the feeder arm 20, on a pivot pin 111. The piston rod 199 is pivotally connected to an ear 112 extending rearwardly from the shoe 103 on a pivot pin 113. The valve means 33 for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinders 25 to retractibly move the mining heads to the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE 1 may have fluid connection with the cylinders 1117 to retractioly move the shoes 103 upon retractible movement of the mining heads 11. The shoes 1613 are thus elevated with respect to the ground to prevent the scraping of the loose material toward the ribs ofthe working place, as the mining heads are retracted.

A cuttings confining or sweep means extends along each cutter support frame 47 and upwardly of the feeder arm to sweep the cuttings transferred rearwardly by said scrolls toward the conveyor at substantially the same rate they are transferred by said scrolls. The cuttings confining or sweep means is shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 6 as comprising a pusher plate 115 slidably guided in an upwardly opening slot 116 extending along the advance side of the feeder arm 20. The pusher plate 115 laps at its inner end, a stationary plate 117 secured to the boss 22 and extending generally tangentially therefrom along the inner side of the plate 115. The pusher plate 115 abuts an abutment notch 118 extending vertically along the outer end portion of the cutter support plate 47 and slidably abuts the front face of the cutter support plate 47. The pusher plate 115 has slotted portions 119 and 120 extending vertically therealong and registering with the respective support arms 71 and 72, to accommodate vertical adjustable movement of the cutter support plate 47 with respect to the plate 115. The plate 115 is retained t-o slidably engage the front face of the cutter support plate 47 by guide straps 121 spaced outwardly from end extending vertically along opposite sides of the slots 119 and 120 and having opposite inturned end portions welded or otherwise secured to the pusher plate 115. Rods 123 secured to the support arms 71 and 72 extend within the guide straps 121 and have slidable engagement therewith. The guide straps 121, rods 123 and abutment notch 118 serve to move the pusher plate 115 along the slot 116 and the plate 117 upon longitudinal adjustable movement of the mining head 11.

In FIGURE 2, we have shown an extension to the scroll 67 which may be detachably mounted within the hub 86 to extend the conveying length of the scroll 67 in cases where the cutter head 11 may be in the extreme extended position of adjustment shown in FIGURE 2.

As shown by broken lines in FIGURE 2, the extension of the conveyor scroll 67 is in the form of a scroll 125 extending about and along a drum 12d, coaxial with the drum 69 and driven therefrom through a splined shaft 127. The drum 126 may be detachably secured to the arm 72 for rotation with respect thereto in any suitable manner.

When it is desired to mine out a seam of coal, and the machine 1G is in a working place of a mine, the two mining heads 11 are positioned in the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE l, with the mining heads adjusted along the feeder arms 20 to position the cutter bits carried by the cutter bit carrying blocks 7d to cut along the ribs of the working place. Where the thickness of the coal seam is greater than the cutting diameters of the mining heads 11, said mining heads are vertically adjusted to make a rst cut along the mine bottom for the cutting diameters of the mining heads, with the two mining heads rotating in directions to cut upwardly from the mine bottom.

The entire machine is then advanced by the continuous traction tread devices 13 into the working face, with the two mining heads rotating in from the floor toward the roof of the seam. As the mining heads are sumped into the working face to the required depth, the continuous traction tread devices 13 are held from travel by operation of the control levers 16 moving the valves 1d to neutral positions, and thereby holding the machine stationary during mining across a working place. Fluid under pressure may then be admitted to the head ends of the hydraulic jacks 25 to feed the mining heads inwardly toward each other. During feeding movement of the mining heads inwardly toward each other, the scrolls t3?" convey the mined material rearwardly along the pusher plates lor sweeps at the same rate the material is conveyed by the scrolls 64, and said pusher plates sweep and transfer all of the material to the receiving end portion of the endless conveyor 15'. As the mining head 11, which is shown in FIGURE l as being the left hand mining head, advances to the broken line position indicated by a reference character A, feeding of this mining head may be stopped. The opposite mining head 11 may then be advanced to position B in FIGURE l, and feeding movement of this mining head may then be stopped. This mining head may then be retractibly moved to its laterally extended position shown in FlGURE l, and as this mining head is retractibly moved, the opposite mining head may be advanced from position A substantially to position B while the traction tread devices are locked, and then retracted to the laterally extended position shown in FIGURE l. Gne mining head 11, thus overlaps the cutting path of the opposite mining head and cuts out a part of the vertically extending cusp at the center of the working place.

`Where the thickness of the seam being mined is greater than the cutting diameters of the mining heads 11, the entire machine may be backed from the working face by operation lof the traction devices 13 and the two mining heads 11 may then be elevated to position the cutter bits d6 along the mine roof. rI`he mining operation just described may then be repeated to mine and load the coal depending from the mine roof, left at the end of the first mining operation.

It should be understood that while the mining heads 11 are shown and described as rotating to cut from the ioor to the roof of the seam, that the scrolls may be reversely pitched and the cutter bit may be positioned to cut from the roof to the floor, it being understood that the ireeti-on of rotation of the motor Sii is also reversed when cutting is from the roof to the iioor.

While we have herein shown and described one form in which our invention may be embodied, it should be understood that various. modications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof, as delined by the claims appended hereto.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having an endless conveyor extending therealong from a receiving portion adjacent the ground at the front of the main frame toward a rearward discharge portion, power actuated means for advancing said main frame along the ground, a feeder arm pivotally mounted on each side of the main frame for horizontal swinging movement ahead of the main frame about a vertical pivot, elongated pusher means extending along each feeder arm, effective upon inward swinging movement of the feeder arms, to sweep cuttings along the iloor into the path of the receiving portion of the endless conveyor, when the latter is advanced, a mining and conveying head comprising side cutting scroll means carried by each feeder arm on the leading side of the corresponding pusher means when the feeder arm is swung inwardly, power actuated means for simultaneously rotating both scroll means and swinging the feeder arms toward each other, the scroll means comprising coaxial cutting-conveying and conveying scrolls of substantially the same conveying capacity, the cutting-conveying scroll having cutter bits alogene on the periphery thereof and being positioned at the outer end of the corresponding feeder arm and the conveying scroll being positioned inwardly of the cuttingconveying scroll and forming an inward continuation thereof, means mounting said scroll means on said feeder arms for longitudinal adjustable movement ytherealong to vary the width of the room being mined, and the pusher means being extensibly and retractibly movable with the scroll means and being long enough to back up at least the conveying scroll in all longitudinally adjusted positions to effect the transfer of cuttings from the mine face to the receiving portion of the conveyor at substantially the same uniform rate, regardless of the width of room being mined.

2. A continuous mining machine in accordance with claim in which each scroll means is vertically adjustable on the corresponding feeder arm to vary the height of the seam being mined and in which the pusher means includes pusher plates extensibly and retractibly movable with the cutting conveying scrolls and scraper means depending from the feeder arms into engagement with the mine iioor, and means for raising said scraper means to clear the mine door Ion back-swing of the feeder arms.

3. A continuous mining machine in accordance with claim l, in which each scroll means is vertically adjustable on the corresponding feeder arm, whereby both the width and height of the room being mined can be varied, and in which the pusher means includes pusher plates extensibly and retractibly movable with the cutting con* veying scrolls and scraper means depending from the feeder arms into close proximidty with the mine floor and means adjustably moving said scraper means to clear the mine floor on back-swing of the feeder arms and scroll means.

4. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having an endless conveyor extending .therealong from a receiving portion adjacent the ground at the front of the main frame toward a rearward discharge portion, power actuated means for advancing said main frame along the ground, a feeder arm pivotally mounted on each side of the main frame for horizontal swinging movement ahead of the main frame about a vertical pivot, elongated pusher means extending along each feeder arm, effective upon inward swinging movementof the feeder arms, to sweep cuttings along the floor into tbepatl'r of the receiving portion of the endless conveyor, `when the latter is advanced, a mining and conveying head comprising side cutting scroll means carried by each feedervarm on the leading side of the corresponding. pusher means when the feeder arm is swung inwardly, power actuated means for simultaneously rotating both scroll means and swinging the feeder arms toward `each other,'the' scroll means comprising coaxial cutting-conveying and conveying scrolls of substantially the same conveying*4 capacity, the cutting-conveying scroll having cutter bits on the periphery thereof` and being positioned at the outer end of the corresponding feeder` arm and the conveying scroll being positioned inwardly of the cutting-conveying scroll and forming an inward continuationthereof, means mounting saidfscroll means onl said feeder` arms for longitudinal adjustable movement therealong to vary the width ofthe room being mined, and the pusher means being extensibly and retractibly movable with the cutting-conveying scroll and being long enough to back up both the cutting-conveying scroll and the conveying scroll for retaining cuttings within the 'scrolls 'and thereby facilitating the conveying of the cuttings to the receiving portion of the conveyor regardless of the width of room being mined.

References caes ny the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,361,996 12/20 Hirst. 2,973,949 3/ 61 Densmore. 2,979,319 4/ 61 Anderson. 3,121,558` 2/64 Gonski et al.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE, A MOBILE MAIN FRAME HAVING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR EXTENDING THEREALONG FROM A RECEIVING PORTION ADJACENT THE GROUND AT THE FRONT OF THE MAIN FRAME TOWARD A REARWARD DISCHARGE PORTION, POWER ACTUATED MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID MAIN FRAME ALONG THE GROUND, A FEEDER ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE OF THE MAIN FRAME FOR HORIZONTAL SWINGING MOVEMENT AHEAD OF THE MAIN FRAME ABOUT A VERTICAL PIVOT, ELONGATED PUSHER MEANS EXTENDING ALONG EACH FEEDER ARM, EFFECTIVE UPON INWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE FEEDER ARMS, TO SWEEP CUTTINGS ALONG THE FLOOR INTO THE PATH OF THE RECEIVING PORTION OF THE ENDLESS CONVEYOR, WHEN THE LATTER IS ADVANCED, A MINING AND CONVEYING HEAD COMPRISING SIDE CUTTING SCROLL MEANS CARRIED BY EACH FEEDER ARM ON THE LEADING SIDE OF THE CORRESPONDING PUSHER MEANS WHEN THE FEEDER ARM IS SWUNG INWARDLY, POWER ACTUATED MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING BOTH SCROLL MEANS AND SWINGING THE FEEDER ARMS TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE SCROLL MEANS COMPRISING COAXIAL CUTTING-CONVEYING AND CONVEYING SCROLLS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME CONVEYING CAPACITY, THE CUTTING-CONVEYING SCROLL HAVING CUTTER BITS ON THE PERIPHERY THEREOF AND BEING POSITIONED AT THE OUTER END OF THE CORRESPONDING FEEDER ARM AND THE CONVEYING SCROLL BEING POSITIONED INWARDLY OF THE CUTTINGCONVEYING SCROLL AND FORMING AN INWARD CONTINUATION THEREOF, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SCROLL MEANS ON SAID FEEDER ARMS FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG TO VARY THE WIDTH OF THE ROOM BEING MINED, AND THE PUSHER MEANS BEING EXTENSIBLY AND RETRACTIBLY MOVABLE WITH THE SCROLL MEANS AND BEING LONG ENOUGH TO BACK UP AT LEAST THE CONVEYING SCROLL IN ALL LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTED POSITIONS TO EFFECT THE TRANSFER OF CUTTINGS FROM THE MINE FACE TO THE RECEIVING PORTION OF THE CONVEYOR AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME UNIFORM RATE, REGARDLESS OF THE WIDTH OF ROOM BEING MINED. 